Montana has its own consumer reporting law, Title 31, chapter 3, part 1 of the Montana Code, which dates to 1975. It sits beside the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. The law opens with an unusual statement: a credit rating is a property right with full constitutional protection. It limits which old information may be reported. Bankruptcies drop off after 14 years, and most other negative items, including collection accounts and paid tax liens, drop off after seven.
Montana's law also has its own dispute process. When you tell a credit bureau that an item is wrong, it must reinvestigate within a reasonable time. It must promptly delete the item if it is inaccurate or can no longer be verified, and notify users that had the record. If the dispute is not resolved, you can add a brief statement that must appear in later reports. Montana gives identity theft victims a blocking right. With a police report or a Montana identity theft passport, a bureau must permanently block the theft-related information within 30 days. Montana also has its own security freeze law, Mont. Code Ann. §§ 30-14-1726 to 30-14-1736.
Montana's statute lets consumers recover actual damages, punitive damages for willful violations, and attorney's fees. Many credit reporting cases are brought under the FCRA instead of, or alongside, state law, and federal preemption limits some state claims. In federal court, cases from Montana are filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. It holds court in Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula.
Where Montana FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Montana are heard in one federal district:
- District of MontanaCourthouses: Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
Our attorneys are licensed in Texas, California, and Georgia. Where they aren't admitted in your local federal court, we work with local or cooperating counsel who are. You may also be able to sue where the company that reported you is based, in a court where our attorneys are admitted:
- Experian: HQ in C.D. California · Dispute Processing in E.D. Texas · Offices in N.D. Illinois
- Equifax: HQ in N.D. Georgia
- TransUnion: HQ in N.D. Illinois
- Santander Consumer: HQ in N.D. Texas
Which court is right depends on your facts. We'll tell you at your free case review.
Montana laws that add to the FCRA
- Credit rating as a property right (Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-103)
States that a credit rating is a property right with full constitutional protection. Read it - Montana limits on obsolete information (Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-112)
Bars consumer reports from including bankruptcies more than 14 years old and most other adverse items, such as collection accounts, paid tax liens, and old suits and judgments, more than seven years old. Read it - Montana dispute procedure (Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-124)
Requires a bureau to reinvestigate disputed items within a reasonable time, promptly delete inaccurate or unverifiable items, and notify users. If a dispute is not resolved, your statement must be noted in later reports. Read it - Identity theft block (Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-132)
Requires a bureau to permanently block identity theft information within 30 days after the victim provides a police report or identity theft passport and identifies the information to block. Read it - Civil liability for willful noncompliance (Mont. Code Ann. §§ 31-3-142 to 31-3-143)
Makes bureaus and users liable for actual damages, costs and attorney's fees, plus punitive damages for willful violations. Section 31-3-143 covers negligent violations. Read it
Common credit report errors
- Accounts that aren't yours, including mixed-file and identity theft accounts
- Late payments you didn't make, or payments not credited
- Paid, settled or discharged debts still shown as owed
- Collections reported past the seven-year limit or re-aged
- A deceased indicator on a living person's file
Learn how these cases work on our credit report lawsuits page, or read our lawsuit guides for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana have its own credit reporting law?
Yes. Montana's consumer reporting law, Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-101 and following, limits obsolete information, sets a dispute process and allows damages for violations. It also declares a credit rating to be a property right. It works alongside the federal FCRA.
How can an identity theft victim in Montana get fraudulent accounts off a credit report?
Under Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-132, you can give the credit bureau a police report or a Montana identity theft passport and a description of the information to block. The bureau must permanently block that information within 30 days, with limited exceptions. The federal FCRA has a similar blocking right.
Where is an FCRA lawsuit filed in Montana?
An FCRA case can be filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, which holds court in Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula. FCRA claims may also be brought in Montana state court.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Montana?
FCRA deadlines are the same everywhere: generally two years from when you discover the violation, and no more than five years from when it happened (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). Waiting can cost you the claim.
Sources
- Mont. Code Ann. Title 31, ch. 3, part 1, Consumer Reporting Agencies (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-112 (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-124 (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-126 (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-132 (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. § 31-3-142 (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. Title 30, ch. 14, part 17, security freeze sections (Montana Legislature)
- Mont. Code Ann. Title 46, ch. 18, part 11, misdemeanor expungement (Montana Legislature)
- NELP, Ban the Box / Fair Chance Hiring State and Local Guide
- U.S. District Court for the District of Montana
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.